This was our first time here and we came during the right season!! BEAUTIFUL fall foliage everywhere! We were here with a group of fairly experienced hikers, so we opted for one of the more difficult trails: the blue trail. However, they have multiple trails, with the red one being one of the easiest routes as it's mostly flat. The red trail rams you to the lake which is absolutely beautiful! We were here on a Sunday for an all-day experience, and we noticed that it was pretty well-trafficked - lots of hikers everywhere! But not enough to be considered crowded. All in all, we had an amazing experience!! Would definitely recommend, especially in the fall season. Heads-up: the visitor center closes at 5pm and therefore the restrooms close at 5pm. We learned this the hard way after returning from our hike! read more

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Varied hikes from easy to difficult and loops or out and back. Whether it's rock scrambling, vistas, lakes or just forest paths, it is pretty accessible to reach from the Palisades Parkway or 17, and provides a nice respite from the bustle of daily life. Parking also differs based on which hikes you choose. Some of the hikes that use a seasonal road are closed after 12/1 for the winter. read more

Harriman State Park - Ramapo torne loop 5 miles - Parks Near Me - southfields, New York

Beautiful park with variety of trails and scenic views Harriman State Park has been one of our family's all-time favorites for the past 25 years, offering spectacular foliage and awesome hikes of different difficulty levels and lengths. The park features lakes, panoramic views, and scenic drives, making it a perfect destination just outside New York City. We highly recommend Harriman State Park for anyone seeking nature, forest hikes, and stunning views. read more

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Always amazing to be in the wood It feels so far away but only about 90 minutes from Brooklyn. Clearly marked hiking trails. Adirondack chairs for relaxing. Plenty of kayak and canoes! Man-made beach, water area for little ones, a deck for lounging and a nice body of water for swimming and frolicking. They have indoor bathrooms and showers. If you don't have a tent or sleeping pads they can lend it to you if you ask in advance! Shout out to Tim, Tara, Summer and Miranda for going above and beyond this past weekend, when they were clearly short of staff! read more

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This park is huge with many different trails ranging from beginner to advanced hike levels . I've been on the Silver Mine Trail several times and within that trail there are different intensity levels as well. The lake view loop is very beginner friendly most flat with small inclines. Paths are properly marked ,( color tabs are easily visible and appropriately spaced). Uphill inclines on higher pathways are mostly rocks so proper hiking footwear is highly recommend. It was raining on one of our visits and the dam area on the left of that lower loop was impassable because the water flow was intense. There was also several areas on the right side that were challenging but passable. During our last visit it was sunny and most of the trails are shaded by trees making it a cooler comfortable walk even on a hotter day. Snakes were out sunbathing, one was totally asleep amd we did see 2 other crawlers. Don't bother them and they won't bother you ( hopefully lol). Ducks, otters in lake area very common and on quieter trails you may spot a deer or two. Big parking area at the base of Silver Mine Trail. Bathrooms and covered picnic shed a short walk from parking lot. All areas were clean and well kept . As stated before the park is enormous amd there are many other activities to enjoy- biking, climbing, kayaking etc . Check out the park's website to plan your adventure. read more

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Did an overnight backpacking trip here and it was a wonderful experience. You do need a permit to camp in this park or you can camp within 300 feet of a shelter on the Appalachian trail. This park is gorgeous with a lot of cool features. Lake tiorati is gorgeous and has a parking lot, water fountain snd public bathrooms with running water (very much needed on our trip). For the brave and ambitious hikers out there I recommend lemon squeezer - a huge drop / climb in which you need to use some outdoor bouldering skills to safely traverse this narrow rock gap. Weather was perfect in early October! Lovely time over the weekend on the Appalachian Trail. read more

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I like to hike in the warmer months of the year and this spot is HUGE! You can get lost for many hours and it's good that there are markers all over the place. I took 1 star away because there is NO cell phone reception! read more

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Been coming here for the past year or so since our move to NJ, and we love it. Done some trek around the seven lakes, and today we trekked to the Lemon Squeezer: what a great Harriman State Park is. It's a huge state park with beautiful finds all around. Highly recommend! read more

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If you are looking for a day hike and shopping nearby, this is one of the parks to go to with many trails. I went on a winter hike at the Silver Mine lake off seven lakes drive. You put silver mine lake in Google maps. The hike area has plenty of parking. The trail that I did was a 4 mile loop around the lake and back. The trail head is right across the bridge, there is a sign with the recommended trail. There is some uphill rock scrambling but it wasn't too bad, good lake views, it was frozen but the parking lot had a sign of unsafe to walk on lake even though I tested it. The trail starts off yellow then you need to switch on red dot on white which can be easily missed, be alert. The path is marked well by previous hikers but follow the signs. At the end, you kind of exit out onto seven lakes drive and your walking along the roadway back which I wasn't fond of. There was some decent amount of snow, didn't need spikes. 15 minutes away is Woodbury outlets and plenty of garb which you will need after the hike. Parking booth was closed so free parking wahoo..... the sign did say $6 fee which I was willing to pay. read more

Great spot to head out on a hike. We did the Lake Skannatati Long Path to Ramapo Dundeeburg loop off of Seven Lakes Drive. They have a good parking lot as well. Swimming and camping is not allowed in this area. Dogs must be leashes for the hiking trails. Some of the trails aren't marked well at the top of the hike and it's definitely rocky so bring some good shoes if you plan on doing the entire loop. Overall though very clean, lots of bugs (obviously) and nice scenery. Definitely plan on going back here and trying a different trail! read more

Harriman State Park - Lake - Parks Near Me - southfields, New York

New York has amazing beaches, gorgeous mountains, lovely lakes, and much, much more. Harriman State Park is just one example of how big and beautiful New York State can be, but it's one of the best examples of wilderness you can find within an hour's drive of NYC. I love it so much that I camp here in all seasons. I mean it, too. I most recently hiked in with a few friends in 15 degree weather,* and while I don't necessarily prefer it when our eggs freeze overnight, it isn't as bad as it sounds either. Plus, it's a lot less crowded when you camp in weather that hurts your face just by being outside. Either way, Harriman is highly recommended, whether you plan on hiking, camping, playing, picnicking, or just sitting...go get yourself some nature. As John Muir said: "Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt." _____________ *To be sure, we would've picked another weekend if we knew it was going to be that frigid. read more

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I was on my way to Harriman State Park, driving along on Seven Lakes Dr., when I unexpectedly encountered a problem with my car - causing me to have to pull off to an unmarked trailhead at least 1-2 miles before the spot I was really planning to park at. Long story short, I received a nice-nasty note on the windshield of my car while I had gone down into the canyon to hike and explore, and then later that day, a woman (shown in the photo) walked up and began snooping around, peeping into the windows of my vehicle (she didn't realize I was sitting on the back of the truck having a snack). Completely feeling helpless and unable to even help myself, as my car problem was something that was not an easy, quick fix, there wasn't much that I could do. The nice-nasty note indicated that someone wanted me to move out of that parking spot because someone had been murdered there 50 years back, but again, I was pretty much in a hopeless position at that particular moment. And this is a State Park, not private property. And I'm a NY state citizen. What could possibly go wrong you ask? :) Well, because people are just messed up, someone then returned that evening to throw a huge stone at my windshield - trying to smash it in, and then speeding off down Seven Lakes going south. I called 911, Stony Point PD arrived and pretty much accused me of imagining that a large stone had just been hurled at my windshield moments before he arrived, as, he mentioned in the dark with his flashlight, "I don't see any rock." I look down, we're standing on a dirt landing surrounded by rocks and stones * sigh * Oh! And then there was the mark on my windshield, but that's neither here nor there :) Seems like a lovely community of passive-aggressives. I recommend this State Park for tourists, for sure! Just make your way right on over! You'll be safe! Happy Wednesday everyone! :) read more

Harriman State Park - This woman then made it her biz to snoop, peep in my windows, not realizing I was sitting on the back eating. Later someone hurled a stone! - Parks Near Me - southfields, New York

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Trees are marked with colors for the trails. While visiting, some other hikers were confused on where to find the entries. Not very clear to the beginner hiker, but you can figure it out after 20 minutes if needed. We saw something on google about a cavern being in the trail but couldn't find it lol We took a scenic route of Dater Mountain trail and it was underwhelming. Marked the map with "P" for parking in attached photos. read more

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A friend told me about this state park, when I was looking for a spot with fall foliage that wasn't too far of a drive. It's about an hour outside of NYC, so it's perfect for a day trip. My husband and I got here at around 11 am on a Sunday and it was pretty packed, expectedly so. The parking lot is small so it was already filled up, but everyone was parking on the side of the road. Even that was pretty filled up, so I'd recommend driving a little past the trail head, making a U-turn, and parking across the street. The closest spot we found was about .5 miles from the trail head, which wasn't bad walking there, but did seem like an eternity when we were walking back to the car. We did the Reeves Brook Loop Trail (4.9 miles), which I found on All Trails (highly recommend this app!). It is a bit confusing because the loop goes from white to blue to orange to red, so you really have to pay attention to where the paths divert. There's nothing to really see along the way but the views at the top are terrific! However, you do have to actually climb some rocks to get to the top, but it was doable. We were able to do so without any equipment. The trail itself was really only crowded near the trail entrances. Other than that, it wasn't too bad. Most people were respectful and wearing masks. The all trails app mentioned that there was a lake, but it's not actually along the trail. You have to actually drive quite a bit (maybe 5 minutes or so) past the trail head to get to the lake. It might be getting too cold for me to do another hike this year, but I wouldn't mind doing some of the other trails next year! read more

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***4 1/2 stars*** Harriman is one of my absolute favorite places to hike in the area. It's huge, so there are a lot of different types of hikes you can do in terms of difficulty, terrain, optics, etc. Bear Mountain in the northern section is gorgeous this time of year (autumn), and there are multiple hikes you can do with the Hudson River in the background or one of the many lakes within its confines. The only downside is that Harriman is very popular - it can get super crowded almost anywhere, especially up by Bear Mountain, and it's kind of annoying to do a hike climbing up that mountain only to see a bunch of tourists at the top who drove up and didn't earn the view. But that's the purist in me. My personal preference is the hike I did yesterday, which is in the southern section by Sloatsburg. (Officially, it's the Pine Meadow Lake Loop featured in the Take a Hike New York City book.) It's more rugged/challenging, so if you're trying to get into excellent hiking shape, do this hike two or three weekends in a row - your haunches will be magnificent. It's an 8.5-mile hike that goes up and down at least three or four mountains, with a lot of variety - it has a few easier, flatter stretches by water features, but also significant chunks that are rougher and don't see nearly as much foot traffic, as well as gorgeous views off the surrounding mountains. It's got everything. And given the diversity of the terrain, I'm always impressed by how consistently solid the trail markings are. If you've hiked a lot, you know that unfortunately that's not a given. The hike starts at the Reeves Visitors Center. I got there earlier than I normally would (about 8:30am) because the weather was clearly going to be amazing and I wanted to try to secure a parking spot as close to the Center as I could. When I returned to my car a little after 2pm, I could see people parked probably a quarter of a mile behind my car so it was the right move. The Visitors Center has bathrooms, but I'd say they've been open/accessible maybe 15% of the time - it's definitely not guaranteed so I'd try to stop off at a Quick Chek or something along the way. Regardless, get there early unless you want half your hike to be the walk to the trailhead. The canine chum situation is usually excellent, and this day was no exception. I met a delightful pooch named Scotty up at the top of Diamond Mountain, and saw plenty of other canines that I wasn't formally introduced to. Similarly, I almost always have an interesting wildlife sighting, though sometimes TOO interesting. A few years ago on the Hillburn-Torne-Sebago orange trail, I almost tripped over a very cranky timber rattlesnake. Yesterday I had the honor of a polite encounter with a corn snake, which is a little unusual this far north, as well as a beautiful orb-weaver spider. This is legit nature. Especially when you're on the nastier trails with fewer hikers (the blue Seven Hills trail is really rough, no matter your skill level - it's constant up and down, sometimes very sharply so), the chances of meeting up with a non-human creature are decent. Be aware of your surroundings. I personally have no interest in recreating scenes from Grizzly Man. Even if you don't feel like gasping for breath slash being ridiculous like me for five hours, there are so many options here for virtually any type of hiker or even someone young pupish to nature. Just be prepared to encounter a lot of people. read more

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My husband and I live in the area. We make sure that if we are coming to Harriman that we do not drive down Seven Lakes. We typically start on trail heads in Pomona or Mt Ivy area to avoid the traffic and tourists. It is a lovely and well kept park ! It gets extremely crowded on Spring/ Summer/ Fall weekends. read more

This is a large park with a lot of trails and nice scenery (lakes, fall foliage, mountains). It's only about a 1.5 hour drive from NYC. The Lemon Squeezer trail and the trails along the Seven Lakes Drive are the most popular if you want to hike. If you want to picnic, I recommend the Kanawauke Picnic Area near Lake Kanawauke or Lake Welch Beach Picnic Area near Lake Welch. I definitely recommend coming here early in the morning since the parking lots get full fast and you may get a parking ticket if you park on the side of the road. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 regulations, they're limiting the amount of people so you have to come here early. read more

Harriman State Park - Lake Sebago - Parks Near Me - southfields, New York

Another hiking weekend on The Appalachian Trail. This time we went to Lemon Squeezer which is located on the west side of Harriman State Park. This hike should take around 3 hours plus an hour drive each way from the city. Set up your GPS to Elk Pen Hikers Lot, rather than Lemon Squeezer because that will take you to the entrance of Island Pond. Without a fishing license and a key, you won't be able to enter it. Elk Pen Hikers Lot is about quarter of a mile off Route 17, past a train track, Ramapo River and I-87. After parking your car, walk through an open meadow to find a trail sign which is the White Blaze and the start of this hike. You will follow those white markers all the way to Lemon Squeezer. This first part of the trail is the most steep, but gradual and of easy grade to the summit of Green Pond Mountain (evel. 1189 ft.) where you can see a bunch of boulders, then it descends to Island Pond, a hidden gem of this hike. Just follow a gravel road to your right, or continue on the white trail to skip. After a quick break, continue on the white trail past a sluice to another climb and descend to reach a huge rock formation which the entrance of Lemon Squeezer. Here's the highlight of this hike. Walk through a narrow split which is a foot wide and slanted to find a rock face where you can scramble up or take an "Easy Way". You can continue to the summit of Island Pond Mountain, or start to head back to the parking lot. Points of interest: 1. Green Pond Mountain 2. Island Pond 3. Lemon Squeezer 4. A rock face scrambling 5. Island Pond Mountain read more

We really needed a break from the city so we decided to travel to Harriman State Park for a hike (and a swim). This state park is super easy to access from the city, I know that it might annoy some Upstate NY people but not all city people come "unprepared". What we loved is how easy it is to access: you just need to get the NJ Transit app, book your train tickets and get off Sloatsburg, then walk to the entrance of the park. Super easy and convenient to immerse yourself in nature without needing a car. We followed the Diamond Mountain Trail which is approximately 9 km long. We actually walked super long distances for the day, something like 15 km in total (approximately 30 miles), and got home late super exhausted but happy. You really need proper hiking shoes, the parts in the forest can be slippery due to the water from the creek. It's really an enjoyable hike in late summer and fall (fewer people, more true nature lovers). We definitely want to return until the weather allows and explore other parts of the park. We did see several snakes, including one on the railroad at Sloatsburg's watched by local police, they were waiting for animal control (looked like a huge snake), we saw a water snake too, turtles, and fellow hikers warned us of a black bear they just saw. read more

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Massive State Park with lots to do. Reearch before going as there are many areas to visit within the entire park. We took an afternoon stroll and came upon the Silver Mine section. There is a make there as well as some fields which we tossed around a football. Very peaceful. Bathrooms were clean and despite having a few urinals and toilet stalls, there were signs up that instructed one person should be in the bathroom at a time to enfore CVODI social distancing guidelines. Be mindful that all areas may not be open during this time to enforce social distancing. read more

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Visit Date: September 19, 2020 I came here with two of my friends for the reeve's hiking trail loop. We ended up starting the loop the wrong way but it worked out better. The trail was amazing. It's 4 miles but it seems so much longer and we ended up doing 5.50 miles after going off trail by mistake a few times. The views are amazing especially when you get to the top of the mountain area. It was the first time I did rock scrambling and while it was challenging, intense and a little scary I did it and felt so happy and accomplished. We didn't get to see much of the waterfall or creeks a lot of the water on the trail was dried up when we were on it but everything was still beautiful. I would come back here again and recommend this trail and park! read more

We took the red trail today, which was a perfect easy hike. Pretty rocky and muddy at parts, but a good 2.5 miles or so each way and shady most of the way. The lake at the end of the trail was a lovely spot to hang out to hang out before heading back -- lots of people swimming and sunning, but not too crowded to keep social distancing in place. Also we saw a snapping turtle that came to sun on the rocks! FYI - bathrooms are closed right now, but the store is open! read more

Harriman State Park, only 30 miles north of New York City, is New York State's second largest state park. It encompasses more than 47k acres, 30 lakes and 200 miles of hiking trails. I explored this park with Take A Hike NJ! on a beautiful September Sunday. We chose a variation of the Jackie Jones Loop, a trail which passes through some ruins, ascends to a Fire Tower and a camping shelter before returning to the park road. After finding parking for the group at the trailhead, we followed the yellow blazes to the ruins of the Orak mansion.We continued on up the trail to the steel fire tower. It still seemed a little rickety to me as we climbed it to take in the surrounding views, but the little dog in our group made it up the 60 feet, so who am I to complain? From the top, the NYC skyline, the Hudson River and the lakes of Harriman State Park can be seen. Continuing along the trail after the tower, we climbed another ascent to the Big Hill Shelter. This is one of nine stone shelters throughout Harriman, for use by campers. This was a good place to rest before heading back down around the loop to our cars. read more

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Great hiking spot for families and dogs! There are many different trails to hike at different levels, some with great views at the top.

My group and I did a "glamping" trip at Harriman state park and we stayed in a gorgeous cabin at the Corman Harriman Outdoor Center! There they had kayaks, canoes, hiking trails, swimming, and more. Our hikes on the breakneck pond trail loop was gorgeous as well as the yellow marked trail. The pond trail was an easy 2 mile hike. The views of the pond is immaculate. There are also places to camp with tents there as well. Highly recommend for a refreshing getaway! read more

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I finally found a park that had that which I was looking for, long trails. This park is huge! It's the second biggest park in New York State. It has a few lakes, lots of raw nature, I saw birds and bugs that I had never seen, not even in book pictures. I was following the navigator and ended up at the side entrance by 7 lakes. I walked up hill for 2 hours to find one of the lakes, I was able to walk 3 hours in total and tired myself out, just like I wanted. This park is absolutely my favorite now, there is just so much to see, not like other parks too small to walk. I didn't even know that there are purple Mushrooms, I saw one here. Thank God for cellphone pics, because I took the pic and show to all my friends. So did I mentioned that I did this huge hike all ALONE! Yes, I did. It is a unique type of experience to go into the forest alone. I know it can be a bit risky but as long as I stay on the trails I felt safe and happy. I wonder how many trips to this park will take me to see most of it. Walking on the way back, I almost got lost because the trail had a Y, which I didn't see going up hill, luckily there were huge stones on that location which I used as guide and made the right turn to get out. read more

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3 Stars for the Nature. 2 Stars for the New Tent Accommodations We stayed one night in two of their new tent ("Tentrr") accommodations. The tents are roomy and rugged and comprise a comfortable double bed, two Adirondack chairs, a fire pit, picnic table, small port-a-potty, a propane stove, a five-gallon water cistern and plastic-kit "sun shower." The propane stoves didn't work (temperatures got down into the 40s). Despite informing us that a water spigot was available at the public buildings, none was available - thus negating the utility of the cistern and "sun shower." I had to drive 20 minutes to purchase gallons of water. The camp keeper, however, was very pleasant and responsive. That said, they've got a long way to go to improve camp management. I therefore cannot recommend their "Tentrr" accommodations. read more

My Harriman State Park Tips: - If you don't hangout by the lakes you're not likely to see the snakes. - To see the most wildlife, get out on the trails early. 6AM - 10AM is the best time to hike. On my last trip I saw a hare, a deer, salamanders, a frog, chipmunks, and birds. - The Eastern edge of the park and the Appalachian Trail are the most crowded parts. - Hiking poles are very useful, although not necessary. - Overnight camping for newbies is easy at one of the many shelters in the park. Just be sure to get there early to claim the shelter. - Fall colors are the best time to visit. read more

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Love Harriman park especially when the Citiots and Jersey folk stay the heck out Best system of trails south of the Catskills. The Trail Conference does a fantastic job maintaining the trails. read more

This park has it all! Mountains, forests, caves, lakes, campsites, streams, and hiking trails galore. It covers a huge amount of land, and you could easily spend a week camping here if you wanted to. The campsites are scenic, some even featuring some excellent lean-tos. While being fairly well-populated since the park is so close to the city, people were respectful and there was no issue with noise or garbage while we were there. There's a good variety of hiking, from easy to very challenging, and a great variety of vistas as well. Parking can be a bit tight depending on the time of day. We arrived in the early afternoon and had a difficult time finding a parking spot in the small parking lot, but luckily people started leaving soon after, which helped things along. Due to the diversity of the activities this place has to offer, you'll see a wide range of people here, from local families to hardcore backpackers to NYC yuppies looking for a short day hike. Regardless of what you're here for, you'll find it at this beautiful park. read more

Harriman State Park is the second largest state park in New York. I'm here pretty often, riding my motorcycle on Seven Lakes Drive to Bear Mountain. But the park has a lot of other things going for it as well. If you wanna hike, there are plenty of hiking trails in the park. My favorite so far has been the Lemon Squeezer. I've also come across some old mines while geocaching. Some of the forests get so dense, it's as if you were in perpetual dusk. There are also many picnic areas where you can have BBQ, and they also have sections of lake where you can swim. I buy boating passes for my kayaks every summer as well, since there are many large lakes here, excellent for kayaking. Harriman is less than an hour from NYC, so pay a visit if you get the chance. read more

Perfect lake for Kayaking and swimming - had a really great time and not too crowded. read more

Harriman State Park - Kayaking at Lake Kanawauke - Parks Near Me - southfields, New York

Great escape from the city and a pretty hiking trail with views of the lake, trees, mossy rocks. Easy scenic hike on the yellow trail - markers easy to follow and elevation was a gradual incline, some stones to navigate rather than a completely flat trail. We needed to head back before dark so only did a few miles but with more time would have likely reached more views. We also saw a couple people hiking and walking with their dogs, who seemed just as enthusiastic as their owners. I look forward to another hike when everything is blooming and trees have leaves on them. read more

Harriman State Park - Parks Near Me - southfields, New York

I absolutely love hiking and being out in nature, so knowing this place was less than 30 minutes from my house, and having never been there, we picked the most perfect fall day to go for a family hike. We parked on Seven Lakes drive (yes the lot was full) but honestly it's no biggie to park on the road. We took the white trail and followed it to blue. We saw the huge incline and rocks that you need to climb up to get to the top, was a bit excited/nervous, but it wasn't so bad (especially on a dry day with no rain in the past week). The views from the top made it all so worth it. (My pics don't do it justice) Stopped and soaked it all in for a while, before continuing to orange and then the red trail. All told, took about 3+ hours but was priceless in terms of serenity and peacefulness. We will definitely be back. I recommend downloading AllTrails and planning it out before you go (park maps are $11) - yikes). read more

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I spend most of my time in the park on two wheels, but there are plenty of other things to do as well. The park is HUGE. You can go hiking, kayaking, fishing, and more! Seven Lakes Drive runs through the park but I have no doubt there are way more than 7 lakes within the park. You could spend a day or two here and not get to them all. There are designated areas for picnics/BBQs and there are plenty of parking lots. This is also a prime location for taking in autumn foliage so bring a camera! People of all ages can have a good time at Harriman. Just a warning though, the cell service is VERY spotty. read more

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Harriman is a beautiful state park no doubt. Just be prepared for the beautiful views being very high up. I haven't been here in years and I'm quite a bit older. I went with 4 others on the Diamond mountain loop via stonybrook and pine meadows trail. We looked on AllTrails which said a moderate hike and rock scrambles. Ok one, two..? Haha it was rock scrambling all the way up and one pretty much vertical wall of rock with tiny places for your foot. Honestly I don't know how I did it except I was too afraid to go back what we just climbed! I do suggest to go counter clockwise as we did. To climb down all of that after a day of hiking over Boulder fields, steep areas..yes I scooted down on my butt, I didn't care at that point. Mostly well marked, though our 5.3 mile hike turned into 7.5 miles. There is a bathroom in the parking lot. Dogs are allowed on leash. This particular trail I would not take a dog, it would be hard for them to get over all the boulders. There are also water crossings that were quite hazardous as well. Beautiful view at the top, almost 900'. We did not see one park ranger, you won't have cell service in most of the park. This is also easy access from the city by train and about a half mile walk from Sloatsburg. There are many trails to choose from and next one will be easier for this ol' lady read more

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This was my first time ever going on an actual hike. Not only that, but I don't work out and am one of the least athletic people I know. I'll walk from 8 miles from one borough to another for the hell of it, so I figured a loop defined as "easy/moderate" would be a breeze. Ahem. I am a fool. I was smart enough to do research on what to bring and wear, but the visitors center appeared closed when we arrived (Easter Sunday) so we went in without a map. My more experienced friend figured we'd be fine winging it. We started on the red trail that follows a meandering stream. Gorgeous! Chill. Her dog was loving it. There were very few people around (probably due to it being a holiday) and the spring foliage was not fully out so there was plenty of sun. I was eating my beef jerky, things were going great. And then we came to what I, as a third generation Queens resident who counts Kissena Park as "nature", can only describe as a very small mountain. My friend was all, "Let's climb it!" and I'm like, "Yeah, sure!" thinking we're going to get there and find there is no way up those jagged rocks because this is not a trail. Wrong, this is the blue trail. So now I see markers all over what other people are calling "rock scrambles" and decide to just go all in, if we're doing this let's do it. I would not classify this trail as good for beginners. She does jujitsu and found it challenging. She also had to carry her dog at points, so be mindful if you're bringing your animal. It was steep, jagged, made up almost entirely of scrambles. I was honestly using my hands at certain points, she made the comment that there were portions that definitely came close to being considered rock climbing. And then the freezing rain started. Out of nowhere! These hard little daggers backed by a ferocious wind. We just had to laugh. We pushed on, trying to get as much done before the rocks became dangerously slippery, huffing and puffing trying to catch our breath and keep our balance. We made it to the summit. And in about three minutes, the deluge stopped, and we were actually able to see the sun's rays breaking through the clouds and rolling over the hills in the distance, revealing an exhilarating view. If the universe could have given me a better metaphor for the dumpster fire life can sometimes be, I can't come up with one. We followed blue back down to yellow, where we found our babbling stream again and crossed some soothing, easily navigable, picturesque bridges. We hadn't seen a single person on the blue trail, but once we hit the stream again we got to chatting with a few. One man mentioned he grew up in the area and swore he hadn't seen everything. There's a lake, there are caves, they have campsites, wildlife. Even just the terrain we saw was so varied and beautiful, it seems like an overwhelmingly wonderful place to explore. It kicked my butt and I can't wait to come back. read more

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About 50 minutes away from NJ and NYC lies a beautiful green retreat that will literally take you miles away from your daily routine and prove to be a perfect stress-buster! There are many separate trails you can explore and do a mix of what works for you. We did a three mile hike; a mix of the white and yellow trails on a chilly summer morning and it was equal parts challenging and equal parts relaxing. The vistas were lush green, the air clean and crisp, the river sparkling in the early morning sun ....what better way to find your inner Zen than this? Can't wait to go back and discover the beach and lake area! read more

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Harriman is a fantastic park, especially considering its proximity to NYC and the sheer volume of guests who visit every year. The 2nd largest park in NYS, Harriman offers lake swimming beaches, lake and stream fishing, hiking, biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, camping (designated sites), group camping, trails to numerous historical sites/attractions, and 46k+ acres of nature to explore. All this the park offers a little to no cost for those who utilize it. For all of its detractors, Harriman has so much going for it, it's hard not to love it. As a general rule, park trails are spotlessly clean. The popular trails are very heavily trafficked, and the unpopular trails are virtually deserted--but still well-maintained and clear of human debris. Unfortunately, off the trails is another story. In recent years I have found extensive dumping and post-party pollution (bottles, cans, etc) areas where there aren't official trails, but there are convenient turn-offs from the road. The over-taxed rangers have only one solution: to ticket any car not on an official trail head. This is unfortunate, as it renders much of the park completely inaccessible. But when people can't be trusted . . . As for non-hiking activities, the beaches are clean, considering the volume of guests. The cabins are in mixed repair. The campsites are a little close together for my taste, but from my brother's boyscout trips to the group campsites, I understand they have a lot to offer. However, much of what Joey P. said is true. The parks system (currently grossly under-budgeted), lacks the funds to provide the proper maintenance. As a result, trails are poorly marked, beaches closed, and many of the structures are in need of repair. While I don't think anything is terrible yet, a crisis is definitely on the horizon. Without proper maintenance, infrastructure will very quickly get to the point where it can no longer be repaired, and needs to be replaced or rebuilt. Unless the economy turns around, we are likely to see more closures, fewer services and amenities, and a general decline of the park. Harriman is one of the most popular (and therefor top-priority) parks in NYS, a state which generally has one of the best budgets for environmental conservation; it makes one very concerned for the rest of the nation's state and national parks system. read more

Harriman is a great place to bike and camp. It's pretty easy and convenient to get to. I've been here a bunch and raced here. I love meeting friends here and biking with them as well. Some of the roads are well maintained. There are other parts of the park that aren't really that great to bike on. I'd definitely come back here, because for a cyclist it's a good place to train, as the roads don't have too much traffic on them. It's a really scenic park too with plenty of places to picnic and hike as well. read more